Uganda’s parliament has passed an amended version of the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
Under the new proposed bill, homosexual conduct will still be illegal, but identifying as homosexual without committing homosexual acts is deemed lawful.
When it was first approved in March, the proposed legislation outraged human rights defenders.
The bill retains more extreme elements, such as the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”, which includes sex with a minor, having sex while HIV positive, and incest.
The east African country has long been out of step with progressive acceptance towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community — who can face the threat of mob violence and legal action.
Beforehand, it suggested imprisoning those who identify as LGBTQ+, but now says those who do not act on their “deviant proclivity” will not be punished by law.
Attempts to pass the bill had come up short in 2014 but the advancement this time suggests deepening anxiety around a perceived threat.
Ugandan politician David Bahati said: “Our creator God is happy [about] what is happening... I support the bill to protect the future of our children.
“This is about the sovereignty of our nation, nobody should blackmail us, nobody should intimidate us.”
His comments are markedly different from mainstream Christianity, which has become more open and accepting to the LGBT community in recent years. The Church of England announced for the first time last month it would bless same-sex couples within its buildings, while the UK and many other nations have legalised gay marriage in the past decade.
African countries Angola, Gabon, and Botswana have all legalised homosexuality and softened laws in recent years. But it is still outlawed or illegal to be gay in 70 countries — nearly half of which are in Africa. Of these, 11 have a death penalty in place.
All the countries where homosexuality is outlawed
Data provided by the Human Dignity Trust.
Afghanistan
Algeria
Antigua & Barbuda
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bhutan
Brunei
Burundi
Cameroon
Chad
Comoros
Dominica
Egypt
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guinea
Guyana
Iran
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Myanmar
Namibia
Nigeria
Occupied Palestinian Territory (Gaza Strip)
Oman
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Qatar
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
Samoa
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Togo
Tonga
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
